


Of Dragons and Men

by SwordLiger



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, dragon rider au, mild animal death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:34:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14511657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordLiger/pseuds/SwordLiger
Summary: Dragon Eggs have begun to go missing from Militaries across the globe. It now falls to Team Rainbow to not only recover them but put a stop to who is behind the thefts. But with a rise in Terrorist activities and a rise in rogue dragon attacks, how will Rainbow fair when one of their own is revealed to have old ties with the enemy?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU and if you have any questions feel free to ask, I will do my best to answer.

The once clear calm skies rumbled with the flapping of wings, chatter of men over headsets and the occasional growl of a dragon. A formation of five flew away from Hereford Base. At the head of the troop was the English beast, above and slightly behind her was the Germans. Below both of them at the same distance back was the French Wyvern. To the English’s Dragons flanks flew the American dragon on her right and to her left the Spanish demon. All periodically beating their wings keeping speeds to neither pass each other or go to far ahead.

The large English dragon, known as Queen’s Despair, was a fair sized creature, her massive wings, spanning no less than three times her body, blotted out the sun. Her scales were grey colored in nature, with accents of gold among them, an indication of her maturity and status among her breed. Each of her paws sporting three large claws and a smaller claw that mimicked a dew claw on her front. The large horns that circled the side of her head, sharp and engraved, a symbol to her country. Her snout was elongated, holding the Acid pouches just behind a thin layer of hide; the bright yellow color of her eyes matching the gold accents of her scales. And the defining feature, a leather harness wrapping around her belly, chest and neck, an English flag emblem sewn into the chest piece, holding her four riders.

Behind her flew the German Dragon, a cobalt colored beast, rightfully called Blauer Teufel, with puffs of purple lightly dusting his chest and throat; his four toed paws were a lighter blue that faded up to the darker scales. His long-snouted head adorned a frill of flexible horns between the folds of skin. Lined along his back was his breeds signature electricity conducting spines. Three rows extended out, the two side rows being smaller in nature than the middle row. His harness was a mix of leather, rubber and steel rings wrapped in thick plastic, the German flag displayed on both his sides. The riders who braved the Devil were equipped with suits to help lower the electrical flow.

Directly below Blauer Teufel was the GIGN wyvern, Titan de Glace. His baby blue scales glimmered in the sunlight; spots of white splattered over his body. His piercing blue eyes resembling the sun shining through a glacier. The span of his wings covered two and half times as much as his body. His front arms were shorter than his large back legs, offering no assistance in walking or running, but still able able to grab and hold without trouble. His tail was thick and wide, acting as a counter balance to his top heavy nature. His snout was short and square sporting horns that mimicked an ibex. The back was lined with small, sharp shards of ice that could be removed and used as a weapon in a pinch. His harness was a combination of fleece, doubled layered nylon and metal rings, the French colors stitched into the chest area. The four proud French wore warmer gear to stand up against the beasts natural radiation of cold air.

Flying to the English dragon’s right was the American dragon. Known as Torchie, she lived up to the name, not only as a firebreather, but as a rusty orange and yellow dragon. Her large wings, spanning three times her body length, were riddled with holes close to the ends; burns from her own body overheating. Her face was what you’d imagine when hearing the word dragon, medium length snout, high eyebrow ridges and medium length horns that extended straight back. Though her cheeks were lined with small horns that covered the vulnerable vents exclusive to her breed. Further down her back, a line of yellow scales opened and closed repeatedly revealing soft flesh underneath, a secondary way to breath and feed the fires the oxygen they needed to prep in her throat. Her paws were three toed with visible pads underneath to muffle sound. Her back was lined with a single row of small spines, much like an alligator’s, that opened to reveal more vents in moments of fire breathing or overheating. The harness and custom horn tether she bore were constructed of fiberglass fabric, silica fabric, steel and iron. Those who ride her were heat resistant suits to avoid the heat she radiates.

To Queen’s left flew the infamous Spanish dragon, Bruja. A name not given without reason, aside from her abilities, her looks were far from charming. The long head was slender and housed three pairs of eyes, each as black as a moonless night. Her nostrils long and thin, along a wide maw filled with rows of needle like teeth. Her horns were twisted at the ends, almost laying flat against her neck. Her neck, thin and long, and sporting two thin folds of hide. Their purpose mostly unknown. Her front paws consisted of four toes and an opposable thumb, while her back lacked the thumb. Her body was slim and smooth, lacking many of the spikes and spines her fellow beasts bore. The scales covering her were mixes of grey, purple and orange, occasionally changing to mimic nebula clouds. Her harness was constructed of leather and steel, her riders requiring only oxygen masks for longer jumps.

The formation scouted out the vast area below them, scanning for their targets. Queen's Despair shifted her head back back and forth, eyeing the ground for movement. The others followed her gaze, except Teufel who kept an eye out for aerial attacks.

“Anything yet?” Thatcher spoke calmly into the walkie. The pilots responded with negatives. Thatcher cursed slightly under his breath, “We’ll make one more pass of the field, look out for any signs of life at this point.” Thatcher patted Queen on the right of her neck, prompting her to slowly begin to turn to the right. The formation followed her lead and they all now faced the direction they had just came from.

The formation straightened out, holding their distance once again. Once again they swept their heads from side to side, looking for movement on the ground. They made it halfway back up the field before Torchie began growling lowly, her gaze locked on a rock formation to her right. Thermite, who was standing by the beast’s head. He held up a closed fist, prompting Ash to call the group to a halt over the walkie.

“Hold up. Torchie has something.” She watched the rider, Sledge, on Queen’s back end signaling her to take Torchie closer to investigate. Ash nodded to Thermite who then told her to head down. Torchie nodded before proceeding with a slow descent. The FBI team began to aim down their sights, ready to fire, Thermite grabbed a small golden ball from a pouch on his side and readied it in his hand. The dragon moved slowly, ensuring they stayed high enough from any ground assault. Once the team was roughly two hundred meters about the rock formation, Torchie began sniffing the air, looking for any trace of what caught her eye. The low rumbling resumed in her chest, signaling something was indeed there. Her chest began to rise, as the bright orange glow of the flame welling up in her readied to fire.

Thermite felt the heat being omitted from her through the vents he stood by knowing what she was about to do. “Torchie!” He called out as dropped slightly to toss the orb into her now opening mouth. A small explosion ensued as the flame hit the golden orb, the fire now emitting from her mouth burned a bright white from the magnesium powder in the orb. As the fire hit the rocks, the hard stone began to run down like magma.

After three seconds of a fire shot, a raptor-like dragon shot out from the rock formation and began running across the field. A thunderous roar was let out by the American dragon, a cry to her team that she had found the target. She flapped her wings fiercely as she quickly rejoined the group that was now in pursuit of the land based dragon. The formation dropped it's altitude to be closer to the fleeing creature.

“All units, man a Net Cannon! Prepare for capture.” Thatcher shouted over the walkie making sure all were ready any outcome. The young op, Mute quickly jumped on the turret cannon on Queen’s side. He took aim, and fired the first net.

The raptor dragon quickly turned direction, evading the net. As it neared a new group of rocks, it let out a long bugle. The large powerful legs bent down and with a single push, the beast cleared the rocks. As the airborne dragons shift up to avoid hitting the rocks, they failed to notice a second raptor dragon lunge out from the rocks and latch onto the armor of the French dragon, who roared out in surprise. With two loud clinks, the main chest piece of the beast’s armor began falling to the ground. Titan bellowed out in anger as he began to drop his body temperature to force the small beast off.

It didn't take long for the smaller dragon to let go. The beast fell from the sky, turning It’s body like a cat and landing into a harsh roll. He struggled to stand as the impact knocked the wind out of him. But once back on his feet, the beast took off at astounding speeds to catch up with the first raptor.

The two raptors stood at the dragon entrance of the base, panting and squatting to rest their legs. The formation landed. A small curse coming from the French riders, who slid down the beast’s side onto the ground, Montagne and Rook immediately going to inspect the damage to Titan’s armor.

Frost removed her helmet and dismounted the grey beast, Celeritas. She walked over to Buck and his rust orange dragon, Jaguar, both of whom ached with the impact of the fall still fresh on them both. Thankfully neither sustained major injuries. The rest of the riders all came together to check on Buck, meanwhile a team of recruits came out and began undoing the harnesses off the Canadian Dragons, double checking Jaguar for injuries.

“That was a nasty fall, you still in one piece mate?” Smoke asked Buck, who sat on the ground still in shock over the fall.

“Yeah. Just got the wind knocked out of us.” He looked over at his dragon who still lay on the ground, and who was now being tended to by the medics and Celeritas.

Six walked out from the entrance of the pens, meeting up with the ops to discuss the training drill. “Well done, Buck. You and Jaguar not only detach the armor from Titan but could have landed a heavy hit if it had been an enemy dragon,” she turned her gaze to the riders of the flying dragons, “as for you five, your altitude awareness was off. Thatcher I expected more from you as the head Captain of the formation. Having Titan exposed as you descended closer to the ground should have been something you could have avoided.”

Before Thatcher could speak, Sledge pushed his way between Thatcher and Six, “It was my fault, Six. I was able to see his position, not Thatcher. I should have made the call to pull him up.” Six glanced back at Thatcher who was staring at Sledge now.

Six nodded before heading back into the base, half of the ops in tow. Thatcher sighed loudly before removing his mask, “Thanks, mate. But you don't need to keep covering ass like that.”

“Come now, boys. It was just training for a reason, we will learn from this and apply it in real battle.” Queen cut in quickly before they could begin to argue over the past.

Thatcher sighed, patting the massive beast on her side. He had been making many errors on test flights, preventable or avoidable yet he still always managed at least one.

Queen noticed the change in Thatcher’s demeanor, “Boys. Could you give me and Thatcher a moment alone?” She asked the question as she stood up from her lying position and turned to head back out into the open field. Sledge, Smoke and Mute honored her request and walked over to Titan to help the French remove the armor.

Thatcher quickly climbed up the harness and sat at the great beast’s neck. She trotted lightly, taking them out of earshot, “What is wrong, my dear? Does Sledge stepping in like that upset you?” Lowering her head, she allowed him the chance to slide off to sit beside her.

“No. I've been doing this a long time. And I can't seem to get commanding a flight right. Every time there is a mistake. Things that will put the men in danger, maybe even get a dragon killed.” Thatcher clenched his fist, forcefully shut his eyes and growled. He wanted to lash out, to strike something.

“Oh? You piloted a dragon before me?” Her words came out slowly, hesitant to know the answer to the question.

The noticeable change in her speech caused Thatcher to arch an eyebrow. ‘Is that jealousy in her tone?’ Queen’s protective nature was well known throughout the base, but never had it dawned on the Veteran that she might be possessive above all else, “No, my liege. But I've been in the military probably longer than Mute has been alive, I expect better of me while in combat.”

The thin pupils of her eyes dilated and her eyes softened, showing her ease in the situation, “But if I am the first, and you have no experience guiding a proper formation, how can you truly expect to get the outcome you desire?”

Thatcher didn’t respond. He stood up and climbed back on the harness, patting Queen on the side of her neck twice, his signal to her to move. Training kicked in and she raised up and began walking back towards the base. Mike couldn’t deny her truth, he had no real experience guiding a formation.

Once back at base, the two walked back into Queen’s stall where the rest of the SAS were sitting and waiting, “Everything alright, mate?” Smoke directed the question at Thatcher as he affectionately rubbed the large dragon’s side. Thatcher gave a simple nod in response as he began undoing the smaller buckles of the harness on the left.

“Come on, Thatcher. We all know you better than that already.” Mute called the Veteran out on his bluff as he quickly climbed atop the beast, with Sledge right behind him, undoing the buckles up top. “You can tell us. We are your team, maybe we can help.”

Thatcher remained silent, causing long sighs from the others. Queen turned her head back to face Thatcher, “If you don't tell them I will. This is not only affecting you. And if you keep trying to fix it alone, it will affect not only us five but the entire base.” The boys stopped working as Queen’s words began to weigh down on how serious the matter was turning out to be.

Thatcher let out a low growl, silently cursing the dragon for forcing him into this position, “I've been thinking about giving up my position to someone else.” Pausing, he gave the others time to process his statement. “I don't feel like I have what it takes to lead a formation. There are others like Jäger who have a better understanding of how to properly fly.”

Sledge and Mute glanced at each other, unsure of how to processes the information. They wanted to say something but remained silent. Smoke stepped out in front of Queen into Thatcher’s field of vision, “You think they chose you because you are a Veteran over all of us? No. They chose you because Queen is a Golden and she minds you best. You can lead her and she can lead a formation.” Mute and Sledge looked at Smoke, dumbfounded by his words. “I pay attention. Don't think I don't. Look, if anything this doesn't have to be a one man show. We are a team and team had to be unified.”

“Like I told Six, I could have called Titan up but I didn't. It's just as much my fault as anyone else's.” Sledge interjected as he leaned against Queen’s side to speak to Thatcher clearly.

Mute peered his head over the side of the dragon, “Don't beat yourself up, Thatcher. And don't give up so easily. Take a night or two to think about this. You are just frustrated now, and you may not feel that way in the near future. Also, watch out!” Mute shouted as he let the large straps of leather and iron fall to the floor.

Smoke placed a gentle hand on Thatcher’s shoulder. He said nothing but merely nodded before going back to undo more buckles on the harness.

* * *

With all the dragons back in their stalls, the ops retired to the mess hall for an early lunch Kapkan had prepared with a mixture of exotic meats he had hunted down. Everyone chatted lowly, keeping the volume down to a low roar. The stew and chopped meat meal was pleasant enough that most ops had their mouths too stuffed to speak. Kapkan let out hardy laughs as everyone who was skeptical of the meal, melted at the taste. Glaz humored the man by praising the meal, but followed up the compliment with the old ‘still not as good as babushka’s,’ earning scoffs from Tachanka and Capitão. Meanwhile Thermite was boasting how he and Torchie’s fire power was greater than Caveira and Fantasma’s only to be met with several recruits who argued why Fantasma had an upper hand to Torchie.

When Thatcher walked into the room, he felt like all eyes were on him. He kept his gaze low, not wanting to engage anyone at the moment. Twitch noticed Thatcher’s unusual behavior and excused herself from GIGN table and began to walk next to him. “Still beating yourself up I see.” Thatcher said nothing as he grabbed a tray and headed for an empty table only to have Twitch follow him. He wanted to tell her to leave him alone but didn't want to cause any scuffs. “Just going to give me the cold shoulder, huh? Mute has already come to me about what is bothering you.” Thatcher winced at the words, Mute was the last person he expected to spread the news. “Don't worry he asked me to keep this between us. Look none of us, not even Titan, blame you for what happened.”

“Is that supposed to help me feel any better?” Thatcher took a small spoonful of the stew, weary of the taste. “Plus, this isn't the first time and you know that. Maybe I should let Jäger take point. He knows how to fly much better than I.”

Twitch scoffed, “You really think putting Teufel in front is a good idea? That dragon barely minds, and you want to give him that kind of rank?” She stood up and patted his shoulder. “Maybe stop trying to make it a one man show up there, see how that goes for you.” Walking back to her original spot, Twitch left Thatcher to his solemn dinner.

Though Thatcher couldn't deny she was right, experience told him that trying to change the flight overall would be challenging. Picking up his half finished tray, he placed it at the window and walked out of the mess hall towards the work shop, hoping to find Jäger there.

The large metal door creaked open, he walked to the German’s section only to find it empty. Though there was someone inside as the sound of tools hitting wood echoed through the hallow area.  Following the sounds, Thatcher found Mira tinkering with one of Tachanka’s damaged shields. She glanced up at him quickly, flashing a smile before returning to her work. Thatcher nodded to her, acknowledging the small, subtle greeting. “Never see you in here. Need something?”

“Looking for Jäger is all.”

“Haven't seen him. Don't think he has been in since we got back from the flight.” She stopped her work to look at him more carefully. “Try Teufel’s pen.” Thatcher gave her an appreciative nod before turning to walk away, “Oh and Thatcher. Try to not look so down, it shows your age.” She quickly returned to her work as the large door closed with a dull slam behind Thatcher.

* * *

The sound of snoring filled the stone hall and archways. Most of the dragons had settled down for their usual afternoon nap, a small reward for their morning training flights and runs. Thatcher checked in on Queen who lay fast asleep in her stall, still as majestic in sleep as she was in flight. Satisfied that she was content he walked to the far ends of the stalls to the GSG 9’s stall. There, he saw Jäger in the typical GSG 9 off duty attire, a olive t-shirt and camo cargo pants. He was hard at work trying to remove the excess blood from Teufel’s claws as the beast lay half asleep.

Thatcher nodded a respectful hello to the young dragon before approaching Jäger, “Hey. Jäger.” Thatcher spoke rigidly as he never really spoke to the younger man one on one.

Jäger looked up from his work and nodded to the Veteran, “Hallo.” His greeting was friendly but as awkward as Thatcher’s. “You feeling okay? You never visit Teufel’s pen.”

Thatcher huffed lowly, “I'm good, actually wanted to ask you something.”

Jäger raised an eyebrow, now intrigued by Thatcher’s presence. “Really? I'm not sure what I could offer you in terms of advice.”

“Flying tactics. I'm not a trained pilot like you are. And with Six putting me in charge more often, my inexperience on the matter can no longer be ignored.” Thatcher crossed his arms as he forced himself right to the point, knowing casual conversation was not his strong point. “I would like for you to help me master the art of piloting a dragon and a formation.”

Taken aback by the request, Jäger merely let out a soft ‘oh’ before grabbing a clean, dry towel to wipe off his hands. A bit unsure of how to react, he merely shrugged his shoulders. “I could give it a shot. But I can't guarantee anything. For me flying comes naturally.” Jäger chuckled as he realized he had to actually think of how to fly. “Give me some time to think of a few training exercises. I'll let you know when we are ready to fly.” Thatcher nodded and thanked Jäger before he turned to leave, letting the German return to cleaning up the cobalt beast.

Thatcher made his way to Queen’s pen, who still lay deep in slumber. He ran a gentle hand against her rough hide, the nerves reacted to the sensations with small, involuntary twitches. He climbed atop her large forearm and settled himself into the crook of her arm. He closed his eyes, feeling a great weight lift off his shoulders as he trusted Jäger to make an excellent training regime.

After Thatcher left Teufel and Jäger, the dragon waited until he knew the Englishman was out of earshot, “If he can't control a dragon, why is he here?” The dragon spoke in his native tongue of German as barely made an effort to open an eye.

“Don't start.” Jäger quickly stopped the dragon from continuing his questions or statements, “Not all of us here started off with Dragons. A good few of us were just foot soldiers,” as the engineer spoke he wrung out the towel of its excess water before beginning to wipe down the dragon’s bloodied maw, “never expecting to earn a spot on dragon. So you can't be too hard on everyone, you know?” Teufel merely scoffed as he turned his head like an annoyed teenager. “Besides, I'd love for a chance to fly on Queen.” The small comment earned Jäger a low growl from the young beast, to which he merely chuckled. “Don't worry. I know you love me.”

* * *

Thatcher awoke quickly as he felt something poking his cheek. Letting out a small groan of disapproval, Thatcher swatted Sledge’s hand away. “What the shit, mate?!”

“Six needs us. All of us.” Sledge motioned for Thatcher to follow as he walked out of Queen’s pen. Thatcher slid off Queen’s leg and landed with a small thud before trotting after Sledge. Thatcher opened his mouth to speak but thought against it. He knew he would get answers soon enough.

Once they arrived at the auditorium they took a seat next to Mute and Smoke. The last of the recruits walked in along with Mira, Lesion and Doc. The room was settled in at a dull roar as they waited for Six to go to the podium like usual. Once she took her spot at the stand, the room silenced quickly as she dropped a few manilla folders on the podium and opened the first.

“Alright, so first off. We have a small crisis in Toronto. Word of a man threatening to bomb a minor league football stadium. The local authorities think he is bluffing but better safe than sorry. Officers MacMillan and Nunez gather a team of ten each and be ready to depart by sundown. The Canadian government will provide you with more intel once there as well as a dragon.” Officer MacMillan walked up to Six and grabbed the folder as he meet up with Officer Nunez to go over the case in more detail. Six opened the next folder, “Next, we have a hostage situation in Japan. Officers Whitley, Olsen and Johnson, gather squads of six and depart immediately.” She handed Olsen the file and the men began picking their squads and left as soon as they were ready. Six read out a few more cases, handing them out and distributing the recruits to their tasks. Pulling up one last file she dismissed the last of the recruits, leaving only the specialists. “Alright. We have a game changer here. We’ve gotten pleas of help from multiple governments. Apparently they have had a string of thefts lately.”

“What, their own police can’t handle a small job?” Bandit barked.

Six glared at him, clearly fed up with the German’s loudmouth, “They have had numerous eggs go missing. No one is sure how as all hatching grounds are guarded by not only the mother’s but by Sentries as well.”

“Then how are they getting in? Even the best of thieves couldn’t get in without being smelled out at least.” Castle asked knowing the ins and outs of the hatcheries and breeding grounds.

“No one is sure. The only thing that is consistent is that those on duty claim to hear an out of place sound before they wake up. Some are guessing some form of hypnosis, but how someone is casting it on a large scale to affect an entire hatchery is unknown.” Six looked at the file as she made sure to get the facts correct. “All we know is in total about twenty-two eggs worldwide have gone missing. And it is now Rainbow’s job to find and retrieve those eggs before they hatch. Unfortunately, we have very little intel to point us in a good starting direction. But we do have permission to investigate the latest nest the thieves visited. Thatcher.” Thatcher looked up quickly as Six addressed him. “Get a team of four together and head to Spain immediately. Dismissed.” She handed the file to Thatcher without hesitation as she passed him.

Opening the file, Thatcher scanned through the list of countries affected and the breed of egg stolen. There was no connection as far as he could tell. The targets seemed random and unprejudiced, the only connection was the serenade that seemed to make people and dragons alike lose consciousness. Thatcher looked up to the room staring at him.

“So you going to pick a squad or what?” Jackal questioned as he leaned against his chair, seemingly annoyed by the idea that Thatcher was in charge of the op.

“Calm your tits. You and Bruja will be coming along regardless. You guys will know the area better, not to mention it might help the Spanish government feel more at ease if one of their own is with us.” He looked over the rest of the groups, mentally tallying their skills and strengths to give to the mission. “Okay. Titan and Shiji. Let’s Harness up and head out!” Hibana and Echo nodded as they stood up with the GIGN operators to go prepare their dragons for a flight.

Mira approached Jackal, a stern look over her face. She spoke in their native tongue to avoid the ears of eavesdroppers, “Tenías que abrir esa bocaza. Sabes que no estarán felices de ver a Bruja otra vez.”*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *- You just had to open your fat mouth. You know they won’t be happy to see Bruja back.


	2. Chapter 2

Smoke quickly ascended Queen’s back, holding down a hand to grab the first straps of her harness. A recruit tossed the heavy stips of leather up, giving Smoke a chance to quickly loop them through the heavy buckles. As the two worked with haste, Thatcher helped Sledge load up ammunition for both their own weapons and the turrets on Queen’s harness. Smoke, Mute and a few of the extra recruits, who were fastening the multitude of buckles with Smoke, began to chat about the trip to the foreign destination. Not many people got to see the Spanish breeding grounds, as the government did everything it could to have its layout hidden.

“Didn’t seem to help out much, did it? The thief was able to get in and out with no one seeing him.” Smoke barked harshly. Mute glared at the older man, he wanted to protest Smoke’s words but knew better than to argue before a mission.

As the squad of men finished up the last buckles, a tap on Thatcher’s shoulder pulled his attention. The Veteran turned to see Jager with a small smile on his face, “It seems like your flying lesson will have to wait.” He chuckled as Thatcher finished zipping up his tactical vest, fastening the small velcro strips onto the sides.

Thatcher sighed as he began clipping his riding harness together over his chest. “Appears that way.” Thatcher lacked tone and confidence as he spoke.

Jager cocked his head as he noticed the lack of enthusiasm in the older man’s voice. “Look. I can only give you this advice before you go. Trust in your instincts. You have more experience on the battlefield than anyone else here. Trust in your dragon. She has been trained to be a soldier as well. And most importantly, trust in your team. They are watching angles you can’t easily see; act as a team not as one man.” Jager rested a hand on Thatcher’s shoulder, “Just don’t overthink it and you will be the leader you want to be.” The German gave two pats on the shoulder before walking away.

“Harness check!” The echoing of Sledge’s voice snapped Thatcher back from his mild trance. He turned in time to see most of the men jump off Queen, the rest gripping the harness tightly, before she began checking that the straps would hold; expanding her chest as far out as it would go, shaking her body as a dog would and slightly lashing her tail about. Once the security of the harness was certain, the four S.A.S members hooked large metal clips to their climbing and riding harnesses. The clips dangled a thick strip of double nylon; another large climbing clip on the end meant to clip to the dragon’s harness.

The remaining recruits dismounted the large beast before Queen walked out on the landing pad outside her pen. She looked to her left to see Shiji, Hibana and Echo waiting outside their pen, signalling they were prepared for takeoff. Further down from Shiji, Bruja growled lowly as she extended her wings, ready for the long flight. Off to Queen’s right, she managed to catch Titan sticking his head out from his pen over his landing pad. Letting out a low, loud bellow, Titan gave the signal he and his riders were ready. The four dragons gave a quick nod to each other. Queen lowered her body before pushing off with all her might, giving her a decent jump start into the air; she hit the top height of the jump and began to beat her wings, helping her ascend further. Shiji’s take off was less dramatic as the wingless, serpent-like beast corkscrewed its body up into the air appearing to be able to mold the air to help him ascend. Bruja jumped downward, letting the wind catch beneath her wing before giving a few powerful flaps and shooting herself skywards without wasting valuable energy. Titan was the least graceful. With the help of a running start, he pushed off the ledge and frantically flapped his wings as he naturally struggled to get his large body off the ground. However, once fully airborne, he was able to glide along side the others without worry.

Thatcher grabbed the small radio on his right shoulder, “Alright guys, we’ll make a stop in the Stronghold near Brennilis to rest and feed the dragons. Six is sending them a message of our arrival.” Twitch, Mira and Echo confirmed their route with simple responses. The coms fell silent as each group settled onto their dragon's backs for the long flight ahead.

The squadron kept a simple diamond formation as they soared over England. Thatcher leaned over the side of Queen, gazing down at the vast country below him. He chuckled to himself as he remembered a time when seeing a dragon flying overhead was a terrifying yet awe inspiring sight. Only in recent decades had dragons become a more common sight. In years before, the large beasts were only brought out during times of war. But after the fall of Nazi Germany, the giant lizards begin to soar the sky for reasons other than attacks and destruction.

Sitting back up right, Thatcher patted Queen’s back, to which she let out a pleased but low growl. He unbuckled his harness clips from the pilot’s clip and strapped it to the wire body of the harness that allowed for easy movement along her back. He stood up and walked back towards the area between her wings where the other S.A.S members sat.

* * *

 

The flight over the Channel went smoothly. The wind blew in their favor, keeping turbulence low. The few ferries that passed below erupted in roars of cheering; the sight of the dragons was still a rare sight to most living in the less war torn areas of the world. It was similar to seeing a F-22 Raptor in the sky, only this sighting could respond back to you with a loud roar of its own.

When land came into sight, Queen let out a deep bellow which effectively brought Thatcher back to her neck. The French shoreline was faint but distinguishable and a welcomed sight to the tiring dragons. “Alright, we are finally coming up to the border. Just a little bit longer and we can give the dragons a well deserved rest.” Thatcher patted the Golden’s side as he mentioned a rest.

Twitch’s voice came over the intercom, “Good, poor Titan is wearing down faster than normal. But,” she paused from English to speak in French, asking if the dragon could keep going. To which he nodded a small yes, “I think he has just enough to get to Brennilis.” She looked back at her team who were keeping an eye on the dragons glacial formations, ensuring none began to melt as he lost energy.

“Roger that. If we need to make an emergency landing, just say the word.” Rising from his seat, Thatcher looked back to see Sledge monitoring the light blue beast.

Turning to face Queen’s neck, Sledge grabbed the walkie on his shoulder, “Thatcher, perhaps we should switch to a ‘v’ formation, give the guy a little help.” Thatcher agreed and gave the order to keep Shiji where he was and for Bruja to fall back, effectively putting Titan on the right of Queen.

Titan quickly revitalized as he traveled in Queen’s updraft. Bruja also did her best to keep the larger dragon encouraged with chirps and a barking like sound. All to which he would let out a cooing rumble.

* * *

A wide open field was a promised land for the Ice Dragon. The cattle and sheep infested fields were a familiar sight to all of the beasts. Their loud roars of excitement sent the herds fleeing beneath them. As they continued pass the fields, a large castle came into view, behind it a large arrangement of archways, halls and basking areas for all of the dragons stationed at the base to rest after a day of training. Thatcher, however, took his team passed the landing pads to the training grounds. It was a large enough area for the four of them to land without invading the space of those stationed here. Once the team landed, two large dragons of Queen’s size approached them, their teams hanging off the sides of the harness to see the visiting dragons.

“State your name and your reason for landing!” The commander standing by the grey dragon’s neck shouted out in French to Queen and Thatcher.

Twitch quickly climbed up to Titan’s head and responded back to the man in their native tongue, “We are the unit travelling from England, Team Rainbow.”

The man quickly shouted something inaudible to his men who all began to dismount the grey and bronze beasts before he did. Rainbow followed, sliding off the backs of the dragons who began to lay down to rest their exhausted wings, except Shiji, who was already curiously sniffing around the training grounds.

“Ah! Welcome,” The man’s accent was thick, his use of English clearly limited and rarely used, “My apologies, I should have recognized the Golden from the message we received.” The man looked over to Queen who had already curled into her normal sleeping position. “Please, let me show you where you can rest.” He turned to lead the group towards the castle.

Doc spoke up before letting anyone follow, “Before we rest ourselves, can we get the dragons to the feeding grounds. Titan is in desperate need of energy.” He spoke to the man in French to which he nodded. The Commander called over a younger man, to whom he gave a few orders to, before sending him off. He informed Doc it would be a moment as the boy had to go let the Herdsman know to prepare a few cattle and sheep for a hunt.

Titan grumbled before speaking to the man, “Why must I wait? Can I not just pick off a few from the large herd we saw in the fields?” Montagne hushed the beast, asking him to not be so brash as they may be in their home country but they are, at this point, considered guests.

Letting out a hearty laugh, the Commander responded, “I’m assuming it’s been awhile since he has been fed in his home country?” The four Frenchmen nodded, slightly embarrassed by the gargantuan’s behavior. “No worries, my large friend. It never takes long for the hunt to be prepared. As for you, Riders, if you need a night of rest or a meal, the base is right up the hill.” He pulled out a walkie and let his higher-ups know of their guests. He bid them farewell and walked with the grey dragon up towards the landing pads.

Hibana spoke up first after the man’s departure, “Best we take up on the offer and get a meal as well. After all, Titan isn’t going anywhere for awhile.” Twitch nodded in agreement and offered to stay back with the beasts. Echo and Sledge stayed back as well as the remainder of the squad went up towards the massive castle.

Only a short time passed, after the three were left alone, before the young man from earlier returned; informing them that the herd was ready. Titan was sent first, as he had become the weakest during the flight. Twitch accompanied him to the edge of the vast field, “Remember, ten is your limit. We have to save some for the others and you can’t fly if you gorge.” Titan nodded before taking off, dive bombing towards the already fleeing herd.

Sledge’s chuckling caught Twitch’s attention, “He was so worn out coming up here and suddenly is perfectly fine when food is present.” She nodded, they both knew how motivated Titan could be in the presence of food. “So what do you think about the news of the thefts?” He spoke lowly, his alone time with Echo and Twitch was rare so making conversation was tricky.

Echo let out a long sigh, “It's worrying, to say the least.” Leaning against the fence posts guarding the fields, he continued, “For these people to already have the means to make off with eggs larger than you, Sledge, it says a lot about them.”

“He's right. Not only that, but if they are using the eggs to sell, they could buy mass amounts of destructive devices.” Twitch chimed in as the three watched Titan wolf down a cow in one slam of his jaws. “And if they don't sell them, who knows what those hatchlings are being subjected to.”

“I shudder at the thought.” Sledge let his head hang slightly before a shadow cast over them.

They all looked back to see Queen and Shiji standing over them. Shiji lowered his head and nudged Echo lightly, “Do not worry much now. We will have answers when we reach Spain.” Echo nodded. It was all he could do.

“I know, Shiji. But I wonder, what if they aren’t the answers we want.”

Shiji looked out to the field, “Well, that is the unfortunate part of our world. Not everything is black and white. Especially to you humans and many of my breed. But nonetheless, answers will be answers. Whether they are the outcome we wanted or not.” He looked back down to the humans who were all now looking at him. “We can only hope everything will turn out how we wish.”

* * *

 

Night overcame the base quickly. The squadron sat with the still sleeping dragons, all who were attempting to sleep off a tiny amount of weight before taking flight again. Thatcher stood up from Queen’s side. “Alright everyone. Last chance to do anything you need. We’ll need to get going soon.”

Hibana and the others nodded before some ran back to the base and the others did a double check on the harnesses. As the final checks were made and the dragons began to stretch and shake, the units began to strap up for the second half of their long flight.

The Commander bid the group a farewell as each dragon took off and quickly ascended to a gliding altitude. They started in the diamond formation, occasionally switching to the ‘v’ formation, switching off between Queen and Bruja at the front. The air currents of the ocean below aided all of the dragons in keeping energy costs low, a relief to Titan and his riders.

The shore line, distant to the formation’s left, was illuminated by the cities of France. Aiding as a guide for the group. Thatcher let out a long sigh, pressing the button to speak to his teams. “Alright guys only a few hours left until we reach the Spanish Breeding grounds. Mira, Jackal. You guys will take point once we approach the border.” Everyone agreed on the plan as the flight went silent.

Time passed quickly and the Spanish shoreline quickly came into view. Sledge gave the final signal to switch the formation. Bruja flew to the front and let out a low rumble as her home country lay in front of her.

Mira patted the beast’s neck reassuring her that Jackal and herself had Bruja’s back. Jackal acknowledged Mira’s looks of concern but helped Mira remember that the trio now had the support of Rainbow at their back. Jackal grabbed his walkie and spoke, “Alright everyone. Once we get closer to the breeding grounds, let me and Mira do all the talking. Trust me. We don't need any trouble around these breeding grounds.”

Hibana was quick to respond, “We should have full clearance. What trouble could we possibly get into?”

“For starters, a few of the beasts bred here are very rare. So security is something they don’t take lightly.” Mira responded.

“Also, all of you are outsiders. This ground is borderline sacred and the mothers for most of these breeds can get rather hostile when protecting their clutch. So there is that.” Bruja added on before anymore questions could arise. “So please. Be respectful of all nests.”

The open fields of the breeding grounds slowly crept into Rainbow’s sights. The large mountain like structures that housed the nesting mothers towered into the sky. Atop the towers were large weapons, designed to shoot down even the largest of aircraft and dragons.

Bruja chattered frantically, stirring the other dragons who began giving warning chirps and rumbles. Mira ordered for the formation to come to sudden halt as the large clinks and locking of the ballistas could be heard. “No one move. They have six turrets locked on to us.” Bruja spoke loudly.

The sound of a large speaker turning on filled the sky before a woman began speaking.  “Atención Jinetes: están entrando en Espacio Aéreo Restringido. Declaren sus intenciones o márchense. Sigan las instrucciones o abriremos fuego."*

Bruja turned her head slightly, “What should I tell them, Mira?” Mira unstrapped her harness and skillfully climbed to the dragon’s head. Once there, she began to speak to Bruja in Spanish to which the dragon repeated the words. “Worldwide Counter Terrorist Unit: Rainbow, by order of the Spanish Government. We are here to investigate the thefts you have undergone.” As the message was heard, the clicking of ballistas could be heard once more. This time, being unlocked to allow the squad to enter the area without fear of being accidentally shot.

The four dragons flew inwards. The same voice instructed them to fly towards the water basin. The woman flew down on a green Meteor Mouth who landed no later than they. “I thought I recognized that serpent body.” The woman scowled, her tone not one of a joking manner to how she described Bruja. “Of all dragons, they send you back.”

Twitch furrowed her brow, not understanding the Spanish words but noticing how the woman addressed Bruja. Even at their stop in France, the man was open and kind to Titan, despite not knowing him. While this woman almost loathed the Galactic Dragon's presence. ‘Wonder what her problem is.’

“Six figured it be better to have a Spanish dragon investigate, just so you know.” Mira shouted back in Spanish. Clearly annoyed already by the other woman’s tone and demeanor. “Be glad we even came to help your ass, Espinoza.”

Everyone, except Jackal, exchanged glances. No one was sure what Mira was saying but could tell it wasn’t a friendly hello. Doc did however manage to catch the fact that Mira addressed the woman by name. Something he knew he would bring up as soon as Rainbow was alone again.

Espinoza crossed her arms, “We are regaining control. Don’t act so high and mighty because you live in London now.”

Jackal scoffed, “Regaining? That doesn’t help now. You needed control four days ago. Just get over yourself and let us help you.”

Looking over to the rest of the operators, Espinoza furrowed her brow, “You guys will have full clearance to conduct your investigation, but talk to all watchmen of nests before entering. Last thing I need is one of you getting eaten by a Mother.”

Mira huffed as Espinoza walked away.“Alright guys,” Mira addressed the rest of the squad, “We have full clearance. Access to the nests that were hit, just don’t barge into the nests. The mother’s won’t be as welcoming right away.” She paused to make sure everyone was clear on that rule. “Also, don't feel intimidated, most of these guys speak English fairly well. Question them as you see fit.”

Thatcher walked next to Mira. “Okay team, we’ll split off into pairs. Cover more ground that way. At sun down, we will meet back here. Try not to miss any details.”

Queen lightly nudged Thatcher with her claw once he finished speaking, “We dragons will assist as well. We can scout the surrounding area and check for any tracks or evidence of the transportation used.”

Thatcher nodded, “You stay in pairs as well. Last thing we need is one of you getting picked off.” Shiji, Bruja and Queen all confirmed they understood immediately. Titan affirmed as soon as his translation was finished. The teams broke off and the dragons took the sky.

“What do you think we will find?” Hibana asked Montagne, Rook and Echo as they walked towards the southern nests.

Rook spoke up first. “Hopefully some good answers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Translation: “Attention Riders. You are attempting to enter Restricted Airspace. State your business or leave. If you fail to comply we will fire.”


	3. Chapter 3

Walking down the long stone corridors, Twitch couldn't help but notice the immense amount of scowls and hateful glares Jackal and herself accumulated. “So, Jackal-” She didn't face him directly as she addressed him, “Can I ask why everyone seems so hostile towards us? I'm not sure what words you, Mira and that Espinoza character exchanged, but they certainly didn't sound nice.” Now turning to face him, she continued on, “Not to mention all of the downright death glares we are receiving even as we just pass people.”

Jackal attempted to dismiss the question, claiming it was nothing for her to worry about. To which he was quickly turned around by Twitch who, though shorter than he, commanded a true answer. Knowing she wouldn't let up until she received an answer that wasn’t half assed, Jackal let out a defeated sigh. “They aren't exactly happy to see us. And by us I mean Mira, Bruja and myself.”

“I take it that's the short answer?”

“Doc never mentions how damn persistant you can be.” Jackal pushed the hand Twitch had held against his shoulder to keep him in place. “But yeah. It is. Doubt we have time for the long one.” He attempted to walk away but his vest was caught by Twitch once again, prompting a small irritated growl. He looked back at the tenacious woman.

Twitch began to express her own frustration with Jackal’s dodging to give her the full details. “Listen, this may not be a big deal for you, but I can't just assume these people won't do us harm. It means nothing to me that they are military. I know people can turn. And I refuse to put any of my boys in harm's way. So I need to know, why are they acting like this and is this the full extent of their hostility towards us?!” Twitch’s grip tightened and her brow furrowed further. 

“Fine.” He swatted her hand away before giving in, “None of these people can stand the sight of Bruja. They see her as a curse, a demon, an omen that will lead to ruin. The hatred towards us is just a byproduct of us being her riders.”

Twitch crossed her arms, only half way satisfied with the answer, “Why?”

“Because apparently she wasn't supposed to happen.” Jackal’s tone shifted from irritated to somber, “I'm not sure if you know or not Emma, but Bruja is the only Star Hunter in existence, as far as we know at least. No one knows where the egg she hatched out of came from. Not a soul. Not the mother of her clutch, nor the caretakers of the grounds. No one.” Both of the operators eased up a small amount as Jackal continued, “They didn't even notice an egg had gone missing and replaced until she hatched. The missing egg was never tracked down. The reason people see her as an omen is that everyone, including the mother, was fooled by the egg. It looked and smelled just like the other one. People think that she blinked into the egg, removed the other embryo and took its place. That kind of malice and witchery isn't something we Spanish like to toy around with.”

“And they just hate you because you were paired with her?”

“No they dislike us because we loved her. From her first day with GEO. Mira and I were the only ones brave enough to befriend her. And so they figured us to be under a spell or curse that would make us dare engage with such a monstrosity.” Jackal sighed before continuing to walk down the hallway.

Twitch followed after him, “I'm sorry. I never knew the pressure you three faced.” 

“Don't apologize. There's nothing you can do about it. I'm just glad we got the offer from Rainbow when we did. It saved us all a lot of grief and will continue to as long as we are needed.” Flashing her a faint smile, he turned the corner to face the first pair of guards to a nest. “Let's see what they know.” Twitch nodded as she did her best to keep up with him.

* * *

 

“And that's the last thing you remember before blacking out?” Montagne asked as he quickly jotted down notes of the info he had just received.

“A low hum like I said. It sounded so faint but it was all you could hear.” The guard reiterated.

“Thank you. Come on Montagne. That's all we are going to get from them.” Hibana tapped the Frenchman’s arm. “I'm already noticing a pattern here.”

“Low hum. Just like all of the others.” He closed the small notepad, somewhat frustrated. “Not the best of leads so far.”

“No but it's safe to assume this humming had a big part in the thefts.” Hibana picked up her pace, leading Montagne to the first nest for them to investigate. 

The sole guard didn't seemed to pleased to have the two foreigners approach him. But he knew he couldn't deny what they wanted, an interview with the mother of the nest.

The guard walked in first, and immediately went to calm the quickly enraged mother. She bore her massive fangs as she began to shout in her native tongue. The two operators understood her fury and didn't attempt to move from the doorway where they stood. But the guard quickly explained to her why these newcomers were intruding into her nest. The large bronze dragon huffed loudly, a thick and foul smelling saliva dripped from her maw. 

Once she had been calmed, Hibana began to ask her some questions through translations. “What do you remember happening before you noticed an egg was missing?”

The dragon sat silent for a second before recalling the details, “The most notable thing was the guard swap. Which happened about an hour before that obnoxious humming began.”

“Then you blacked out and awoke to a disturbed nest?” Montagne interjected.

The mother nodded. “I didn’t notice it right away as we were all still trying to come to terms with what we had all experienced.”

“Anything else noteworthy you can tell us?” Hibana inquired.

“About the situation? I’ve told you everything I can remember.” The mother let out a low growl as she was growing annoyed by the questions.

Montagne pondered for a quick second, trying to make sure every type of question had been asked, he perked up as he motioned for one more question, “Are you aware that only certain nests were hit? And what would make them want your offspring out of all the others?”

The bronze tilted her head almost offended by the question, “I am an Amberite! One of the few left in the world. An unclaimed hatchling would be worth more than the two of you and your dragons combined!”

Hibana gasped as she was hit with a sudden realization, “How long until it hatched?!”

Taken back by the sudden urgency the small human present the mother tripped over her words, “T-two weeks. If not sooner. Which is why I worry about my offspring. If they are not kept properly, they could die before their first twenty-four hours.”

Hibana and Montagne looked at each other, now fully starting to understand why only certain nests were hit. They both thanked the mother and caretaker and hurried off to find the others. Eager to share the finding they just made.

* * *

 

As the sun set and the darkness of night began to creep over the nesting grounds, the four teams and their dragons gathered at the base of the massive towers. All eager to share what they did and didn’t find. Hibana was the first to speak out, wasting no time in sharing her epiphany. “So, Montagne and I visited the bronze Amberite nest. First off, Amberites are rare. Worth a ton of money right at hatching. But that’s not all, the mother did tell us the eggs were set to hatch within the next two weeks. And if my hunch is correct, all of the nests hit should be all soon to hatch.”

“We learned that as well. The Magmines were set to hatch soon as well. And the hatchlings that were taken were still unclaimed by humans, still in a somewhat feral state.” Echo added as Rook nodded in agreement.

Doc spoke worriedly as he made mention of his and Smoke’s findings, “We spoke with all sentries that night and all of them said they heard a humming sound in the distance. Then they blacked out. And when they awoke mass panic was setting into the base.”

“Add to that, two of their heavy bolt ballistas were also taken. No man made vehicle would be able to carry it. Hell it would probably take Gentle, Titan, Torchie and Tefuel to carry just one.” Smoke added in.

“So we are dealing with someone who has not only access to dragons, but large ones at that.” Sledge let out a long sigh. “And you said something about a humming sound? We had many describe something of the sort as well.”

Twitch quickly added, “Then it would seem that most of us have the same story to tell. This humming.”

“So a strange humming is heard, only nests with eggs close to hatching are struck, unclaimed hatchlings are taken and two anti-dragon weapons.” Thatcher paced as he rubbed his beard. “I don’t think we are dealing with a string of random thefts. This is organized from the inside out.”

“How are we planning to flush out our rat?” Smoke asked, a small growl on the end of his words.

Thatcher shook his head, shrugging his shoulders, “I have no idea. It would take too long to track them from what little we have already.”

Bruja raised her head. Noticing the groups growing irritation along with a falling in moral, she spoke softly. “Perhaps I can be of help.” Everyone turned to face her, curious as to what she had to offer. “I could do a Time Jump if our trail has run cold.”

“Bruja, you will do no such thing.” Jackal barked loudly as she scowled at her offer.

“Time Jump?” Echo questioned as everyone looked at the galactic beast. 

Bruja nodded as she ignored both Jackal’s and Mira’s scorning looks, “Yes, I can attempt to go back in time and try to answer some of our questions.”

“I won’t allow you.” Mira spoke sternly as her stone faced expression drilled into the dragon.

“Please. Our time is running out to catch the nest defilers. We have no other leads and as we speak young dragons could be being subjected to torture. For the young ones’ sake I have to try.” Bruja opened all six eyes as she stood up and walked away from the group. “Trust in me Mira, Jackal. If anything call out for me, I will hear your call and return. I swear it.”

“Bruja, wait! Have you done this before?” Doc interjected before the dragon could make any further movements, “The last thing we need is you to get stuck in who-knows-where.”

“Once. But please, I have to do this. Not only to prove to the world I can but for those hatchlings who are alone and scared.” She took a small pause before continuing, “Like I once was.” Before anyone could stop or question her again Bruja ran out to the field and jumped as if going over a hurdle. Her scales drained of all color as the scales flashed white and she disappeared from view.

No one was able to hold their gasps; watching something vanish from view without sound or blinding lights took some getting used to. They all held their breath as they waited anxiously for Bruja’s return.

Space pulled forward in a blurring effect as the world seemed to wash away behind Bruja. With the colors of grass and stone gone, only a grey fog could be seen in every direction. Despite this dimension being a solid black, there appeared to be a light source. But from where it shined no one would be able to say. 

Bruja turned her head slightly as her breathing slowed, each exhale producing a large cloud of mist. The freezing air solidified her breaths as quickly as they came out. And although Bruja could only spend a few seconds in the dark inbetween, the heavy effects made it feel like hours. Before any harm could come to her, Bruja focused to finish the second half of her jump.

Bruja flashed into a dark night setting. The world around her was distorted in her peripheral vision, as if the world was moving frantically in those areas. This created a tunnel effect to her overall vision, forcing her to focus on certain details only. Along with the blurring, a sepia tone befell her vision. She could tell she was of the same plane as her starting point, but the distortion began to slowly take its toll. She could feel her energy draining rapidly; her body strained as though she had been flying for days without rest, despite having only been here a few minutes. Now realizing she’d have to make haste she flew to the side of the towers that housed the Amberites and Magmines. As she waited for a clue to come to light, she huffed as her wings now slowed to match the diminishing energy she possessed. ‘I can’t stand this much longer.’ Bruja struggled to keep her self aloft but fought back her pains and slowly made her way to the far east end of the base. As she rounded the corner on the verge of jumping back, a low hum began to bellow in the distance. Assuming this was the sound all of the guards and dragons heard, she swiftly changed direction and made her way to the nests.

Bruja gasped as she saw a mass of dragons flying over the mountains blocking the breeding grounds. Atop the backs of many of the dragons she made out human figures. The dragon leading the brigade stood out to her however. It carried a single rider and the figure stood on the dragon with no visible harness or securing mechanisms. Just as she as about to get closer to the man for inspection, the sight of five of the larger dragons swooping down redirected her focus. They aimed right for the Amberite’s landing pad, waiting there was a man, no a woman, clad in the GEO colors. Bruja lowered her altitude to get a better view of the woman, hoping to easily identify her. 

The woman led two of the dragons to the egg closest to the landing pad; one of the beast proceeded to gently roll the large egg over the ledge where two other dragons caught the delicate cargo. Now carrying the egg, the two dragons began to fly back over the mountains. The woman came out on the pad and motioned for the dragons to fly higher. 

Trailing their movements, despite her waning wings, Bruja gasped loudly as the woman pulled down her mask to speak to the man. Upon the gasp, Bruja jumped back to present time. 

The force of the jump tossed the space demon as though her large size was nothing. Her large body plummeted to the ground, back and neck first, as the last of her energy drained. Her breaths were short and hard as she laid mostly motionless on the ground. Bruja could hear Mira and Jackal calling out to her; her mind raced as she desperately wanted to tell them of her findings, but she was unable to respond. 

Mira, Jackal and Doc quickly examined her for physical injuries. Doc opened each of her eyes, testing their reaction to his flashlight, “She’s alive. Just unconscious. That jump must have taken everything she had.” He moved from her head to her shoulders; pressing his cheek to her chest, he listened to her rumbling breathing and the slowed pace of her heart. “I’ll help you keep an eye on her until she comes to. Her vitals seem normal, but we can never be too sure. None of us no the effect of the jumps on her.”

* * *

 

Dusk turned to night as Rainbow set up a small post outside the walls, not only to keep away from prying eyes and ears, but to also respect the mothers and their broods. Bruja still lay unconscious but in stable condition as the other three dragons laid in a semicircle to shield their riders from the outside world. The ops spoke softly around a small campfire they used to heat up their rations. Some brought up the subject of former missions, others talked about the future. What was to come for them after Rainbow was no longer needed. 

Doc walked over to Titan, clearly exhausted from climbing up and down Bruja. He sat next to the large beast with a small plate of food in hand before Rook offered to monitor Bruja as Doc ate and rested up. Doc put up no argument as he leaned back into Titan’s large gut. 

“Hey Rook. Let me know when you get tired. I can watch her for a little while.” Hibana called out as the young man began walking towards Bruja. He nodded as she settled down as well.

Hours passed as many of the ops fell into a sound sleep, leaving Rook and Queen as the only two awake. The half full moon helped give a little light to Rook as the fire died out. He sat quietly, scanning the skies and the base for any suspicious activity. Though everything was still and in order. He glanced over to Shiji where Echo and Hibana laid, deep in their sleep. Climbing off the unconscious dragon, he walked over to Hibana and tapped her shoulder lightly. She slightly opened an eye as she looked up at Rook, “Still willing to watch Bruja?” Nodding, she wiggled free from under Shiji’s tail.

“Rest up. Hopefully she’ll come to before midday.” Patting Rook’s shoulder, Hibana walked over to Bruja.

Much to Hibana’s pleasure, the early morning shift went by quickly and with no misfortunes. Bruja’s condition remained stable, her heart rate picked up signalling she was regaining energy. With the sun beginning to rise, and many of the other waking as well, Hibana handed over the shift to Mira and Jackal.

It was now past midday, many were growing worried for Bruja. Knowing Mira and Jackal were on the brink of panic, Doc offered to give her a small shot of his patented dragon Stim Shot. “It should give her enough to at least wake up. I doubt she'll be in fighting condition with just one dose.” Doc lifted a few scales on the dragon’s thigh and injected the orange liquid. “Give it a few minutes.” 

Within thirty minutes of the aiding dose, Bruja began to stir. She growled and moaned lowly, her legs were still too weak to help her sit up. She felt lucky just to be able open her eye. “Jackal. Mira. You'll never believe what I saw.” The words crawled out her mouth, struggling to come out of her dry throat.

“What was it?” Jackal inquired as he rubbed the small ridge above her eye.

“Espinoza. She...she helped the thieves."


End file.
